In the past armoring light weight vehicles was not something that was recommended. BUT in Mexico and other locations around the world armoring smaller vehicles is a reality of the security environment.
Whether armoring a large or small vehicle the basic theory of armored vehicles does not change. The armored vehicle must protect the occupants from the threat, maintain some level of performance and be able to be maintained and function in the environment they will be operating in. All armored vehicles must have the capability of absorbing the initial attack and have the ability to escape.
All vehicles, including armored vehicles, have characteristics that define their use and performance. Like all other vehicles, armored vehicles are a balance – you have to give up one characteristic to get another. The characteristics that will dramatically change the vehicles performance are the payload capacity, tire pressure and weight above the vehicles center of gravity.
Armoring a Smaller Vehicle
This is not meant to be the definitive works on armoring a light weight vehicle but it is intended to offer some assistance in the decision-making process. When armoring a smaller vehicle an important issue is, how much additional weight can the vehicle absorb? The vehicles payload number is used as the guide – payload is defined as the combined, maximum allowable weight of cargo, occupants and optional equipment that the vehicle is designed to carry. If this allowable weight number is exceeded, it will affect the vehicles performance and longevity.
These are the payload numbers for some light weight vehicles:
Payload capacity in Kilos Pounds
Nissan Altima 408 900
Ford Fusion 385 849
Chevy Malibu 415 915
Honda Accord 386 851
Choosing the Altima as an example – it can accept an additional 408 Kilos or 900 Pounds of armor – cargo and passengers, and still be in the designed weight limit. Two passengers that weight 91 Kilos or 200 LB’s each would increase the payload to 182 Kilos or 400 lbs leaving 226 Kilos or 500 LB’s available for armor. The conclusion that can be made is that armoring light weight vehicles are OK if the passenger load is kept to two or three passengers of average weight, and little or no luggage.
As previously mentioned – Like all other vehicles armored vehicles are a balance – you have to give up one characteristic to get another The driver will have to accept a combination of the following – a rougher ride –an increase in stopping distance, and an increase in the maintenance schedule. How much of a degradation in those characteristics will depend on the quality of the manufacturer. In my humble opinion, a reasonable decrease in those qualities is worth what the driver and passengers receive in return.
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